The Children of the Storm
by EspeonSilverfire2
Summary: Sequel to The Hollow Night- 'The children of the storm, though they should never be, are Skyclan's only hope'- We now look at the true cats of the prophecy- Cloudpaw and her brother Thunderpaw- the kits of Stormpaw. Can they stop Dawnstar and Tigerstar?
1. Chapter 1

_A/N- Here it is! The sequel to The Hollow Night! Now you get to follow Stormpaw's kits as they follow their destiny, guided by the prophecy from Starclan! Wow! So, you'd better read on, then review with what you think!_

_Disclaimer- I don't own warriors, ok? If i did i wouldn't have to put this._

_--_

**The Children of the Storm**

'_The children of the storm, though they should never be, are Skyclan's only hope'._

Prologue

These kits should never have been. Their father was a rogue, who had saved their mother's life when she had strayed onto a Thunderpath. She was far too young, barely 13 moons old when they were born, but they were strong and healthy nonetheless, and they had each grown into fine young apprentices, though there were no other cats to mentor them.

Stormpaw, or Stormcloud as she was now called, had given birth to two kits, brother and sister, who had been named Thunderkit and Cloudkit, and who were now Thunderpaw and Cloudpaw.

Thunderpaw was a golden tom, like his father, Lightning, and had a white belly with white paws. He had good leadership qualities and was the more dominant of the two kits. He had his mother's amber eyes and was strong in battle, using the strength he had inherited from his father.

Cloudpaw was a dark grey she-cat with white tabby stripes, identical to her mother in every way, except for her eyes. Cloudpaw's eyes were that of her father's, ice-blue and deeply penetrating. She possessed her mother's fierce intellect, and contained within that were all the same gifts and talents Starclan had imbued Stormcloud with.

The two children of Stormcloud and Lightning were both six moons old when destiny set them on their path, the path that would lead them home to Skyclan and enable them to stop the cruel and bloodthirsty tyranny of their mother's sister, the heartless Dawnstar.

Back in Skyclan itself, things were not going well. Dawnstar spent her entire time surrounded by her gang of rogues, who protected her and dished out the vicious punishments to the rest of the clan that kept them in fear of their leader, and in a state which did not enable them to make any resistance.

Within Skyclan, there was a hierarchy not dissimilar to that of Scourge and Bloodclan, and it may well be that that was where Tigerstar got his inspiration from, for Tigerstar was indeed now inside the body of Hawkkit, now Hawkpaw, and was being mentored by Dawnstar herself.

Hawkpaw was far more cunning than any other apprentice of his age, his skill towering over that of his sisters', Newpaw and Hopepaw, and the other apprentices, Emberpaw and Snowpaw. As for those who had been apprentices when Dawnstar had been training, they were now warriors- Yewfur and Oakclaw- and even they were no match for Hawkpaw's intellect and deviousness.

It is true to say that Skyclan had suffered greatly through Dawnstar's bloody leadership, guided as it was by Tigerstar, teaching her through the body of Hawkpaw, but it is also true to say that Dawnstar was not bloodthirsty by nature, and that it was her own desperate desire to save her family that had led to this scenario, even though it was she who had given the order for the black rats to kill her mother, Orangestar.

So now Skyclan had been left with a problem. The cats needed to end Dawnstar's rule, but they had not the will nor the strength to do so, half-starved as they were, whilst their leader and her guard were kept well fed and full, ready to instantly subdue the first signs of any rebellion. And far, far away, the two cats who were destined to save their clan hadn't even thought about life there, or what hardship and struggle they may be about to face.

In fact, at that moment in time, they didn't even know Skyclan existed at all.

--

Chapter 1

"Get away! That's my mouse!"

"Push off, Cloudpaw! It's mine. I licked it first!"

The golden tom bent down and licked the dead mouse.

"Ew! That's gross! Thunderpaw, you are so disgusting!"

Cloudpaw turned and dashed over to where her mother and father were lying, not far off, sharing tongues.

"Mother! Father! Thunderpaw stole my mouse! And now he's licked it!"

Stormcloud sighed and rolled her eyes at her mate. Lightning laughed gently back at her, his voice a deep, suave sound as he meowed,

"Go on. You'd better go and sort those two out!"

Stormcloud rose to her paws and padded over to where Cloudpaw had returned to her brother, and was now attempting to kick him away from her fresh-kill.

Stormcloud darted in and swiped the mouse from Thunderpaw's jaws as he tried to flee from his mother.

"There. Now, Thunderpaw, which side did you lick?"

Thunderpaw stared at the mouse longingly and replied,

"The left."

Thunderpaw's voice was just as low and smooth as his father's, while Cloudpaw's was identical almost to her mother's, but slightly higher and lighter, her mood not changed by the terrible things that Stormcloud had seen in her time.

"Okay then. I'll split this down the middle. Thunderpaw, you get the left side, as you licked it. Cloudpaw, you get the right."

Cloudpaw nodded and giggled as her mother unsheathed her claws and sliced the mouse down the middle.

Both apprentices darted in quickly and seized their halves of the fresh-kill, knowing that the other would quickly take their food if they got the opportunity to. Normally, Stormcloud would have disapproved of this sort of behaviour, but in the harsh world in which they now had to live, and how they would have to fight for not just food, but their lives, when they were to reclaim Skyclan, she supposed it was an important skill for them to have.

Stormcloud was just about to return to her mate, and leave her kits to eat in peace, when Cloudpaw asked her mother,

"Mother, I was wondering. You changed our names to –paw when we reached six moons old, and you said something about being apprentices, but father doesn't have a name like that, and I can tell you never used to live in the wild like this; you lived out here, but in a safer place, with your family. Where was that? And why can't we go there?"

Stormcloud scanned her daughter with her eyes, two identically fierce intellects measuring each other, then she sighed and said,

"Bring your fresh-kill and come sit here. I have a story to tell you, one that I knew you would have to one day hear."

Intrigued, Cloudpaw picked up her half-mouse and came to sit infront of her mother, Thunderpaw doing the same, positioning himself on Cloudpaw's left.

When her children were ready, Stormcloud began.

"Our tale begins before I was born, on the night of a fearsome storm. My mother was the leader of a group of cats known as Skyclan, who lived together for protection and safety, each cat doing their bit to ensure that the clan as a whole was alright."

Cloudpaw's eyes opened wide and she muttered,

"So that's where you lived!"

Stormcloud nodded and continued,

"On the night of the storm, our medicine cat, Blackleaf, received a prophecy from Starclan. I have told you who Starclan are, haven't I?"

Thunderpaw and Cloudpaw nodded and their mother carried on.

"The prophecy was this: 'The children of the storm, though they should never be, are Skyclan's only hope'."

Cloudpaw looked awestruck, but her brother was busy thinking.

Stormcloud ignored them and meowed,

"That night, under the storm, my brother, sister and I were born. My brother was Riverpaw, a bluish grey tom, and my sister was Dawnpaw, who is now Dawnstar, leader of Skyclan."

Cloudpaw's eyes opened even wider, but she asked,

"Leader? They why aren't we living there?"

"Patience, dear one, and listen to the story."

Cloudpaw nodded and stared at her mother.

"Now, there was also another prophecy, that a moon after we became apprentices, disaster would strike our clan. Dawnpaw thought that by learning from a wicked and vicious cat called Tigerstar, she could get true power and avert the disaster. However, she was then banished for her actions, and on the day that the disaster was set to strike, she returned to seize control of Skyclan, using an army of rats and rogue cats. She killed our mother, Orangestar, and set the spirit of Tigerstar, who had died many seasons before, and had been teaching her in dreams, she set his spirit inside one of Shiningheart's kits, Hawkkit."

Cloudpaw and Thunderpaw both gasped.

"So that's why we can't go back? Because Dawnstar was the disaster and she's evil!"

Thunderpaw had put the first piece in place, but with her smarter mind, Cloudpaw had spotted the problem.

"But, the prophecy! It said that you three would stop the disaster, not that your sister would be part of it! What went wrong?"

Stormcloud sighed and said,

"But, Cloudpaw, you are smart. Surely you can figure this out? The prophecy does not talk about me, it talks about the children of the _storm_."

Thunderpaw frowned.

"But you were born during a storm? Isn't that why they said that? Surely it must be you?"

"No, brother. I understand now," Cloudpaw interrupted, "Our mother's name is _Storm_cloud. We are her children. We are the children of the storm."

Thunderpaw gasped as realisation hit him, and Cloudpaw finished.

"And that means that we have to be the ones to save Skyclan."


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N- I know this is a short chappie, but i've got time issues here, i'm writing this at 9:50pm on a Wednesday night, so... Anyway thanks to all my reviewers so far, and if you review from now on, you get a free Virtual Cloudpaw Toy to play with, remember, 'It's as fluffy as the clouds, and machine washable!'_

_Disclaimer- Warriors is not mine, and Cloudpaw dolls are not really machine washable, or real for that matter- they're virtual you see._

Chapter 2

As the next few days past, Cloudpaw and Thunderpaw learnt more and more fighting techniques from their parents, and they gradually moved closer and closer to Skyclan territory. It took them about a week, but eventually they reached the Skyclan border.

However, luck was not on their side and, although they tried to creep in undetected, they were upwind and were discovered by a patrol.

By this point in time, Cloudpaw and Thunderpaw were highly developed, and it would not be unwise to give some description of their particular attributes.

As I have already said, Thunderpaw relied heavily on his strength, however, he was indeed a particularly skilled fighter, and had already mastered moves that were well beyond the level of any other apprentice his age, given the exception of Hawkpaw, that is.

Whereas her brother relied on his muscles, Cloudpaw relied more on her brains. Like her mother, and like I have already informed you, Cloudpaw had her mother's fierce intellect and observational skills, and was capable of exactly the same great feats of mind that Stormcloud was. However, Cloudpaw could also do more. Cloudpaw was brilliant at sneaking around; she could creep more silently and with fewer vibrations than any other cat there ever was, or ever will be, for that matter, as far as Starclan had any control, anyway.

The four cats- Thunderpaw, Cloudpaw, Stormcloud and Lightning- were escorted into camp by the patrol. In the camp's centre, upon a pile of bones which was _exceedingly _reminiscent of Tigerstar's Bonehill, and was indeed designed by Hawkpaw, sat Dawnstar, and the group were marched up and forced to stand before her.

"Ah, sister, I see you have gotten yourself a family in the moons since we last met."

"I have, yes," replied Stormcloud, glaring at her sister.

Dawnstar smirked as she swept her gaze over the other three cats.

"A rogue tom and two insignificant kits! They can hardly be older than apprentices! My, my, sister, you have done badly for yourself."

Stormcloud growled and unsheathed her claws, sinking them into the ground.

At that moment, Riverheart stepped out from around the Bonehill and spotted the group.

"Stormpaw!" he cried joyously, his eyes sparkling with delight at the reunion.

"It's Stormcloud now," his sister corrected him, smiling.

"And I'm Riverheart, so what? It doesn't change who you are."

Stormcloud smiled, and then glanced briefly up at her sister.

"So what becomes of us now?"

"You will be taken prisoner, and then we'll have to see. You'll probably die. That should be very amusing."

Stormcloud growled a last warning at her sister, and then she and her family were led away to a cave, to be kept prisoner until they escaped or died.


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N- Thanks to my awesome reviewers, and thanks especially to Feathertail's Loyalty for saying-_

'Honestly, I'd like to meet Hawkpaw, and find out what Riverheart's been doing for the last... 6 moons or so...'

_And so you shall, Feathertail, so you shall…_

_So this chapter therefore will not look at Stormcloud, Cloudpaw, Thunderpaw or Lightning's current predicament, it's gonna look at what has happened to Riverheart over the past about 8 moons. And you get to see what Hawkpaw's like! Hooray!_

_Oh, and take a look at my profile. I've got an awesome new poll up on it! Go vote!_

_Disclaimer- I do not own Warriors, or Skyclan, or Tigerstar, nor roast beef with Yorkshire pudding…hah, caught you out with that one, didn't I? Nope, no Yorkshire pudding in this chappie, or any roast beef. Sorry. But review and you get some, via the amazing power of the internet!_

Chapter 3

Snapshots of the Past

_Riverheart_

The past eight moons have not been kind to me. As my sister, Dawnstar, took over the clan, she forced Stormpaw to flee, and I decided I could do some good trying to bring her down from the inside. So I became a new Skyclan warrior, Riverheart, and was shortly given Yewpaw to mentor, when Dawnstar killed her former mentor, Sandwhisker, for not taking one of her rogues as a mate.

But I have now learnt that I cannot destroy Dawnstar's corrupt clan from where I am. Truth be told, I don't think I can bring it down at all. There was a prophecy, 'The children of the storm, though they should never be, are Skyclan's only hope'. I don't believe that now. I even wonder if Starclan are with us at all.

I remember the start of my despair. It was the day Dawnstar took control. I even told my mother to surrender to her, and look what happened…

_Riverpaw watched as the mass of rats tore his mother apart. Even with most of her lives left, no leader could survive the injuries inflicted upon her. There was simply not enough of Orangestar left to heal, and, worst of all, the rats were __eating__ her._

_Riverpaw had known this would happen to his mother, ever since he had read Dawnstar's mind. He had seen that if Orangestar surrendered, she would kill her and become leader, and if his mother had refused, Dawnpaw would have done this anyway, to seize the clan._

_When Orangestar was no more, Dawnpaw bounded up onto the mound at the centre of the clearing and called to her new clan._

"_Cats of Skyclan! I am your new leader, Dawnstar, and I have promised the rats the forest area of our territory in which to live in peace. They will not violate the boundaries I have set for them and none of you are to hunt them!"_

_The Skyclan cats passed nervous looks between one another, but none dared speak out._

"_Furthermore, I have made a new deputy. He was formerly the kittypet Harry, but he is now Duskfur, deputy of Skyclan, and my mate!"_

_The newly-named Duskfur stepped forwards and then leapt up onto the mound, beside his mate._

_As the rats then dispersed from the camp, Dawnstar carried on._

"_As well as the rats, I have a second army. I have gathered together some rogues under my command and they are joining Skyclan. Come here Stone, Rage, Ice, Frost and Claw!"_

_The five cats stepped into the clearing and Riverpaw observed them carefully. Stone, Rage and Claw were all grey toms, and Ice and Frost were both white she-cats. They sat at the base of the mound, gazing out at the clan with hard, hate-filled eyes._

"_I have also learned a trick from my mentor, Tigerstar. Bring forth Hawkkit!"_

_Instead of his mother, Shiningheart, bringing her kit to Dawnstar, upon this command, Rage rose from his paws and marched into the nursery. There came a wail from inside, followed by the sound of slashing claws, and then the tom returned, and brown and white tabby kit dangling from his jaws._

_Hawkkit was placed before the mound, and the former rogues all moved back, to give their leader room to do whatever she planned to do._

_Dawnstar stepped down from the mound and padded lightly over to the kit. She closed her eyes and rested her muzzle on top of Hawkkit's head. In an instant, the kit's eyes shot wide open, and then he slumped down onto the ground, unconscious._

"_You monster! What have you done?!" screeched Shiningheart, from the nursery entrance._

_Dawnstar observed the queen coldly, then leapt back up atop the mound and addressed her clan._

"_With the powers granted to me by Starclan, I have let Tigerstar, my mentor and ally, be reborn inside the body of this kit!"_

_The clan gasped and Dawnstar, with a flick of her tail, ordered Hawkkit to be returned to the nursery. As one of her rogues obliged, Dawnstar continued by summoning her sister and brother before her._

"_Bring forth Riverpaw and Stormpaw!"_

_As her siblings stepped before her, the leader meowed,_

"_Riverpaw, Stormpaw, you are both a part of this prophecy too, for only together can we save the clan from the terrible disaster which is set to unfold. I wish to make you both warriors and allow you to be part of my senior group. What do you say?"_

_Stormpaw took a step forwards and glared up at her sister._

"_Never!" she called, "Can't you see? __You__ are the disaster! Tigerstar has corrupted you! He has used your power to revive himself, and one day he'll kill you with his own claws! I'm leaving Skyclan!"_

_Dawnstar hissed down at her sister, then cried out,_

"_Rogues! Kill her!"_

_As the rogues sprang forwards, Stormpaw leapt back and turned, sprinting out of the camp. The rogues glanced up at their leader, silently asking whether or not to give chase._

"_Leave her," Dawnstar replied, "She'll die soon out there, anyway."_

_The rogues returned to their positions and Dawnstar turned to her brother._

"_And what about you, Riverpaw? Do you wish to flee too?"_

_Riverpaw turned to gaze at the entrance to the camp, wondering what to do. Out there, Stormpaw could get help; maybe even find the other four clans. He could do just as much good here, trying to bring down Dawnpaw from the inside._

"_No, I'll accept your offer. Make me a warrior."_

_Dawnstar purred and nodded, a sinister smile stretched across her muzzle._

"_Very well. Riverpaw, from now on you shall be known as Riverheart. We welcome you as a full warrior of Skyclan."_

_The rogues began to cheer his name and, reluctantly, the other Skyclan cats joined in too._

_As Riverheart retreated to the warriors den and the meeting broke up, he couldn't help wondering if the will of Starclan had gone horribly wrong._

So that is when everything went wrong. I realized that, after a couple of moons, and I have now surrendered myself to the new clan. I have even taken a mate. The rogues, Stone, Rage, Ice, Frost and Claw, were all given warrior names. They are now Stonefang, Rageheart, Icepelt, Frostshimmer and Clawtooth. Frostshimmer is my mate, and she has even had my kits. They are Streamkit and Orangekit, and in two moons they will be apprentices.

Hawkpaw is Tigerstar reincarnate. We quickly realized that when, on his first day as an apprentice, he killed his mentor for correcting him. Poor Wildmask. So Dawnstar is mentoring him now. He is supposed to be her 'prodigy', but we all know the truth. Hawkpaw even sometimes tells Dawnstar what to do; how to run the clan. I truly believe he will take over the clan as she did, when he becomes a warrior. It brings to mind an encounter I had with him half a moon ago.

_Riverheart noticed that the fresh-kill pile was empty. He spotted Hawkpaw washing himself in a shaft of warm sunlight and padded over to him, head held high._

_Hawkpaw saw him coming and sat up tall, a menacing gleam in his eyes._

"_What do you want?" he sneered._

"_The fresh-kill pile is empty. Go hunting and top it up."_

"_Why should I? I am Dawnstar's prodigy. You go hunting, if you're so bothered about it."_

_Riverheart snarled and unsheathed his claws._

"_How dare you speak to a warrior like that?! I order you to go hunting immediately!"_

_Hawkpaw hissed at Riverheart, unsheathing his claws. The apprentice leapt at the bluish-grey tom, bowling him over. Hawkpaw raked Riverheart's soft underbelly with his claws and scratched at his neck. He scratched him all over, and Riverheart was in so much agony, he thought he was going to faint. He knew that, any second, Hawkpaw would finish this, and send him on his way to Starclan._

"_Stop!" came the command from an unknown source._

_Riverheart felt Hawkpaw's weight cease to press down on him, but he did not move._

"_Leave him, Hawkpaw. What did he do?"_

_Riverheart heard Hawkpaw hiss, and then the apprentice snarled,_

"_He ordered me to go hunting when I didn't want to."_

"_Hawkpaw, you must listen to Riverheart. He is my brother and I want you to obey him. Go hunting, and bring back enough fresh-kill for the whole clan!"_

_The grey tom heard Dawnstar pad over to him and seize him by the scruff of his neck. He was dragged roughly into the medicine cats den, and then left to be attended to by Blackleaf, with only the parting message of,_

"_It would be wise not to argue with Hawkpaw again, brother. Not if you don't want to end up in Starclan."_

That is how vile Hawkpaw is. But I don't care, because soon my kits will be apprentices, and my apprentice will be a warrior.

Dawnstar has not yet announced a deputy, but we all know that she's waiting to make Hawkpaw a warrior first, and then make him the deputy. Starclan save us when that happens.

Yes, 'when', not 'if', for there is no saving Skyclan now…


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N- Sorry for not posting the next chapter of this story for a while, but here it is! I was unable to think up any good ideas for this chapter until today, as i know what i want to do with the plot overall, but i was stuck for a way to link to chapter 5. Anywa, thanks to my awesome reviwers once again, and i hope you enjoy the next chapter._

_Disclaimer- Warriors is not mine, but these are MY characters!_

Chapter 4

Cloudpaw was lying, curled up, in their prison. It was a cave, near to the warriors den, and Dawnstar had not been bothered to make anyone furnish it with moss or anything to lie on. It was exceedingly uncomfortable, and Cloudpaw was finding it very difficult to get any sleep, even if it was moonhigh already.

Just as Cloudpaw had decided to see if she could sneak outside to get some fresh air, she saw the outline of a cat, padding into the cave. Her whiskers twitched with joy at the scent, even if she'd only smelt it for a few moments before. It was Riverheart!

"Riverheart!" he hissed quietly, and the tom's ears twitched and he angled himself in her direction.

"You're one of my sister's kits, aren't you? What's your name?"

"I'm Cloudpaw," she replied, "And my brother's name is Thunderpaw."

"You're apprentices then?"

"Well, yes, sort of. We don't have any mentors, but our parents are teaching us how to hunt and fight, and we're about six and a half moons old."

Cloudpaw could just make out Riverheart nodding and padding over towards her in the gloom. He sat down infront of her and she could see him more clearly. He was a bluish-grey tom with amber eyes, and he had an air of tragedy and tiredness about him, outlined more heavily by his expression of pure, undiluted sadness.

"You'd better be careful," he meowed after a moment, "Dawnstar will kill you at the first opportunity, as soon as Hawkpaw realises you're here to stop them, and that the prophecy is actually about you."

Cloudpaw was startled for a brief second, then asked,

"How did you know about that?"

Riverheart purred and answered,

"For all that you have your mother's intelligence, you still can't work that out?"

Cloudpaw's expression still remained curious.

"Very well then, I'll tell you. Starclan gave me and my sisters powers. Our clan and we ourselves thought it was so we could fulfil the prophecy, but it seems that is not so. I am able to read minds, just by looking into a cat's eyes. Dawnstar can force you to obey her, just by speaking to you in a certain tone of voice. And you mother has the ability to be unnaturally intelligent, something I think she passed down to you."

Cloudpaw nodded and replied,

"That's right, and my brother is uniquely gifted at fighting. I also have the ability to walk completely undetected if I wish, although I'm not sure that that is Starclan given, or just my careful practising."

Riverheart purred and meowed,

"I'm sure that in the end, all abilities come from Starclan, although even I'm not sure if they're watching us anymore. Who must they be to let this sort of thing happen to our clan?"

Riverheart's eyes tinged with sadness again and Cloudpaw thought her heart would break.

"No, I'm sure they're looking out for us, that's why my brother and I are here. We're supposed to save Skyclan. And we will, I promise you, first thing in the morning!"

Riverheart laughed quietly at her optimism.

"I'm not sure that's possible. Not with Hawkpaw and Dawnstar around. She could command you to stop, just like that, and Hawkpaw's skills remain unmatched by any cat."

"I'm sure Thunderpaw could beat him! And I'm definitely more than a match for Dawnstar!"

Riverheart purred, but in Cloudpaw's mind, a plan was already forming. If only she could get the clan cats to turn against the rogues, then her and her brother could battle Dawnstar and Hawkpaw, and get Skyclan back. Yes, it could work!

But getting the clan cats to fight would be tricky. If they could really put up much of a resistance, they would have done so a long while ago. No, they needed a bit of hope and inspiration first.

"I've got a plan," Cloudpaw murmured, "But it needs the clan cats willing to fight, so they can battle the rogues."

Riverheart stiffened, and Cloudpaw was puzzled.

"Why don't you want them to fight the rogues?" she asked.

"I have kits," he answered, "Streamkit and Orangekit. They will be made apprentices in one and a half moons. Their mother is one of the rogues, Frostshimmer."

Cloudpaw nodded. She had realised from the moment he'd said he had kits.

"May I see them?" she asked quietly.

Riverheart looked surprised for a moment, but then nodded and whispered,

"Yes, but we'll have to be careful and very, very quiet."

Cloudpaw purred and replied,

"Master of being undetectable, remember?"

Riverheart nodded and silently led his kin out of the cave. They padded quietly across camp, and reached the nursery unnoticed. Riverheart led Cloudpaw inside and up to his mate's nest. Inside was Frostshimmer, and curled up next to her belly were two small bundles of fluff. One was a ginger tabby she-cat, and the other was a small silvery tabby she-cat. Both were sleeping soundly.

Cloudpaw purred and gave a large intake of breath, drawing in their scent and savouring it. She couldn't imagine a cuter or more innocent sight, and hoped the kits would be able to spend the rest of their lives in a peaceful clan. Somewhere where they wouldn't have to worry if they caught no prey, or worry about accidentally catching a rat from the forest and having a mass attack as retaliation. No. She hoped they would have peaceful, prosperous lives, with bountiful joy and endless happy days.

Riverheart gave a purr of laughter and Cloudpaw realised he'd been reading her mind. She frowned at him, but was overcome with curiosity. If she'd inherited her mother's skill, had any of Riverheart's kits inherited his?

"Yes, Streamkit has," he replied, in answer to her unvoiced question.

Cloudpaw frowned harder, but then gave a purr and meowed,

"Come on, I'd better be out of here before anyone notices I'm not in the cave."

Riverheart gave a nod and led her back out into the clearing. They were almost at the cave, when a call sounded from behind.

"That's one of the prisoners! One of the prisoners is out of the cave!"

Two cats bounded up to them, snarling and spitting. Riverheart turned to face them, and replied coolly,

"Rageheart, Clawtooth, if you weren't so ambitious and keen to look good for Dawnstar, you would have realised that I was escorting the escaped cat _back_ to the cave, and was about to inform Dawnstar when she was back where she should be."

This took the cats completely off-guard and they both stepped back, stammering, until one of them managed to ask,

"Do you want us to inform Dawnstar then?"

"No," Riverheart replied, "I'll do it in a moment, and once the sun's come up. We don't want to wake our leader up, do we?"

The cats hastily shook their heads and left, allowing Riverheart to safely return Cloudpaw to the cave.

"Thanks," she replied once they were inside, "That could have been a lot of trouble, for both of us."

"It still is," Riverheart replied, "I thought you were smart, Cloudpaw. This now means that I will have to tell Dawnstar you were out of the cave, or else it'll raise some suspicious questions. I'm almost out of trouble, but you may have some serious difficulties coming up."

A call sounded from outside.

"Riverheart!"

"That's Dawnstar. I must go. Goodbye, Cloudpaw, until we're able to safely meet again."

Cloudpaw nodded goodbye, and the bluish-grey tom hastened out of the cave, into the pink dawn sky.


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N- Once again, this is a short chapter, written at school, but it is vital to the story, even if you don't know it yet! I hope you enjoy it, and thanks to all my loyal reviewers and readers. Thanks!_

_Disclaimer- Warriors is not mine, but my hair is._

Chapter 5

Thunderpaw looked up from where he was lying, his eyes shut but his mind and other senses alert. He glanced over in Cloudpaw's direction, and was just in time to catch a glimpse of the bluish-grey tom from the day before, leaving the cave.

"Who was that?" he asked casually, but taking his sister by surprise.

"Oh, that was just Riverheart. He is the brother of our mother, you know."

"Is he?" asked Thunderpaw nonchalantly, "I'd never noticed."

Cloudpaw sighed.

"Don't you ever pay attention to our mother's stories, mousebrain? You really should, you know."

"You say 'you know' too much. Anyway, you're the one with the excellent memory," he replied with a casual flick of his tail, before rolling over in the nest.

This seemed to really annoy Cloudpaw, and she snapped,

"Don't you know how serious this is? We are in mortal danger! This isn't the time for you to be lying around! Stop being so lazy!"

Thunderpaw gave her a shrug and rose to his paws.

"Okay then, genius, amaze me. Show me how much danger we're in."

Cloudpaw hissed, but restrained her anger.

"Fine. Come and watch this."

Thunderpaw gave another shrug, and then followed his sister to the cave entrance. They looked out at the camp lying before them. There was the Bonehill in the centre, with various cats sitting nearby. The nursery was a small cave just past the mound, and next to that was the leaders den.

"What's so special about the camp?"

Cloudpaw shushed him, and placed her tail over his mouth.

"Look in the centre of the clearing."

Thunderpaw followed where she'd indicated, and spotted Riverheart speaking urgently to Dawnstar.

As they watched, Dawnstar gave a feral snarl and leapt upon the grey tom, her unsheathed claws glinting in the light of the rising sun. Riverheart was clearly taken by surprise, as he called out and was easily unbalanced.

Riverheart was torn into by his sister, and a small pool of red began to mass around him, as he tussled on the ground with the golden she-cat. After a few moments, he went limp, and the leader backed off.

"Is he dead?!" whispered Cloudpaw, urgently, removing her tail so that her brother could reply.

Thunderpaw peered intently at Riverheart for a moment, then relaxed his tensed muscles and answered,

"No, he's alive, but severely hurt. It will take a long time for him to recover."

Cloudpaw gulped and remembered her earlier words to the bluish-grey tom.

"_I'm definitely more than a match for Dawnstar!"_

Had she been wrong?


	6. Chapter 6

_A/N- Okay, readers, if you remeber, last chapter I said it was very important, even though it was short. Well, now i'll tell you the reason- I was setting up Cloudpaw's self-doubt, it's something she will have to overcome if she wants to stop Dawnstar. But can she? And will this story twist further, possibly into another book? Actually, not even I know that yet! But here's the next chapter, focusing on three different cat's perspectives- Riverheart's, Thunderpaw's, and Cloudpaw's. Enjoy!_

_Disclaimer- Warriors is not mine- but cricket rules!_

Chapter 6

Riverheart looked up at the shape of his sister, towering over him and snarling. Her face was contorted into a mask of anger and hatred, hatred for every fibre of his being. She had just attacked him, leapt at him, screeching, and torn into him. He could smell the blood that he'd lost, the aroma filled the air around him, driving into his nostrils and making him gag. Pain coursed through his body, and he felt faint and a little bit nauseous.

--

The conversation with Dawnstar had gone well, up until that point.

--

"Riverheart!"

"That's Dawnstar. I must go. Goodbye, Cloudpaw, until we're able to safely meet again."

Riverheart padded down out of the cave, and then broke into a run, sprinting across to his leader in the centre of the camp.

"Riverheart, what's all this about you escorting a prisoner back to the cave? How did she get out?"

Riverheart gave a small nod, and began to speak.

"Allow me to explain, Dawnstar. The apprentice said she was curious about the camp, and sneaked out. At least, that was the excuse she gave when I interrogated her. I caught her in the nursery, and escorted her back to the cave. I was about to come to you when you called."

Dawnstar gave a curt nod.

"Very well, but why were you up, anyway?"

"I had to go and make dirt, Dawnstar."

Dawnstar did not look content with this explanation.

"How very convenient for you, Riverheart. Now, tell me the truth."

Riverheart's eyes widened.

"The truth? But that is the truth, Dawnstar."

Dawnstar glared at him, starting to unsheathe her claws.

"No it is not. You were seen entering that den earlier that night. You stayed in there for a while, and then left _with the apprentice following you_. You led her to the nursery. Now, what was going on?"

Riverheart's eyes widened further, and he took a step back. He was meowing urgently and quickly now, trying to save his life.

"Dawnstar, please, you must understand. Cloudpaw is no threat, she _was_ no threat! I could easily have dealt with her if she'd caused any trouble, and I only wanted to speak to her, to see if I could find out any information! But then she wanted to see my kits, and I knew I had to keep her believing my cover story! I had to take her out of the cave!"

Dawnstar's eyes flashed with anger for a moment, and Riverheart visibly tensed. But the next moment, the Skyclan leader calmed, and she meowed smoothly,

"Very well, Riverheart. You shall get the reward you deserve for this."

Riverheart relaxed and sighed.

Dawnstar unsheathed her claws and gave a feral snarl, leaping atop her brother. She began to claw at him, and Riverheart, taken by surprise and caught off-balance, was like a mouse in her paws.

--

The next thing Riverheart was truly aware of was the dark shape of Blackleaf, the medicine cat, coming and tapping Dawnstar on the shoulder with his tail.

"If you're quite finished," he meowed, "I like to get him into my den before he loses his life."

For a split second, the grey tom thought that his leader would kill Blackleaf there and then. But instead, she relaxed, and Riverheart felt something grab him by the scruff of his neck, and begin to drag him into a den.

--

Thunderpaw looked across at his sister, eyes wide open with shock. He was relaxed- after all, Riverheart wasn't dead- but he was still stunned at Dawnstar's outburst. It had shown him what an unstable and ruthless character she was. Cloudpaw, next to him, was trembling with fear. He brushed against her in what he hoped was a comforting way, and her shuddering decreased.

--

Cloudpaw was gawping at the spectacle below.

_Have I been wrong? Can I actually beat Dawnstar, if she could do that to Riverheart?_

She was shaking with fear, guilt and trepidation. Fear of what Dawnstar could do; guilt that she had been the cause of Riverheart's suffering, after persuading him to take her out like that; and trepidation that one day soon, she would have to defeat that menace.

Just then, her brother brushed against her pelt, and she looked across at him.

_Of course, Thunderpaw's still here for me. Together we can stop her._

Her tremors slowly subsided, and she watched in calmness as a black tom dragged Riverheart into a den. She knew he'd be alright.

_But will I?_

The voice had a menacing edge to it, and Cloudpaw gave a shudder as its message sank in. She still didn't really know if she could do this. And what if she was killed?

Did she really want to risk going to Starclan?


	7. Chapter 7

_A/N- I know this chapter is quite short, but trust me, I have a plan, and I have everything now planned out! Hooray! It's a first for me, actually! So, anyway, there will be two more chapters after this, and be prepared for a shock in the next one! Yeah, so this will be a 9 chapter story, like the first. And now i'm repeating myself, so i'd better shut up about that. Right, thanks to all my brilliant, fantastic, marvellous reviewers, and if you're reading this and you don't review, I'll set Hawkpaw on you! (I would and all!) So now for my customary end of author's note- enjoy!_

_Disclaimer- Is that my Warriors ownership and the lost and found? Nope, it's Erin Hunter's._

Chapter 7

Dawnstar leapt up onto the Bonehill and summoned her clan.

"Cats of Skyclan! Get here now!"

As the starving, weak cats began to gather underneath Dawnstar, the leader meowed,

"Rageheart! Bring the prisoners here!"

The rogue nodded and padded into the cave.

"Get out there!" he hissed at the prisoners.

Slowly and nervously, Cloudpaw, Thunderpaw, Stormcloud and Lightning made their way across to the Bonehill. As they reached the bottom, they stood there nervously, not sure if they would survive until sunhigh, or live to see another dawn.

"These traitorous rogues," began Dawnstar, spitting each word out like bones from a mouse, "have been like poison to our clan. Like the venom from a snake, they have worked our way into us, threatening to destroy all we have worked for. It is time for that to end!"

The rogues began to cheer, while the clan cats looked on nervously, not sure who to support.

Purring at the admiration from her loyalist followers, Dawnstar continued.

"So I shall end this right now. It is time to execute the prisoners, and destroy the threat to Skyclan once and for all!"

The rogues cheered again, and this time, some of the clan cats frowned and whispered to one another, knowing themselves that it was Dawnstar who was the disaster, not Stormcloud and her family.

Just as the Skyclan leader opened her mouth to give the execution order, Cloudpaw took a step forward, glaring up at Dawnstar on the Bonehill.

"No! Cloudpaw!" hissed Stormcloud, but to no avail.

If Cloudpaw was trembling, she hid it well, as she seemed strong and confident as she next spoke.

"Dawnstar! Listen to me! You are wrong. Me and my family, we are no threat to Skyclan! We are a threat to you, you who harm our beloved clan; you lust only for power, and don't care about the welfare of any of the cats around you. We are here to stop you, and the only way to do that is to fight you."

Dawnstar laughed, and sneered at Cloudpaw,

"What? You think you can stop us?! Four cats, two of which are apprentices?! You must be insane! That or you have a desperate wish to join Starclan! Tell you what, go on. Stop me, and see what happens."

Cloudpaw glared up at the leader, but her next words were not to her.

"Cats of Skyclan, the _true_ Skyclan, not the rogues who claim to be warriors. I speak to you, no; I _beg_ to you now, help me! Please, rise up and fight with me for the clan you love! Please, help me and my family save it."

The clan cats looked at each other, muttering. They weren't sure what to do. True, they wanted their clan back, but in their weakened state, did they have the strength to do so?

"That is enough!" cried Dawnstar, "It is time to _end_ it!"

The Skyclan leader leapt down off the top of the Bonehill, claws unsheathed, and rocketed into Cloudpaw, throwing the apprentice off her paws. The grey tabby she-cat wrestled with the leader, both hissing and snarling as they fought for their clan.

Throughout the clearing, fights were breaking out, as the family of Cloudpaw began to battle with the rogues, Thunderpaw tackling Hawkpaw, whilst Stormcloud and Lightning both faced two cats each.

And during all this, some of the clan cats leapt at rogues too, screeching and yowling as they saw the moment for revenge, and decided to take action.

Riverheart was aware of the fight in the clearing, but was unable to help, as he was stuck in the medicine cats den with his injuries. But he still knew that if the time came, when all hope seemed lost, and it seemed that darkness was set to win, that he would rise up and help, despite his physical condition.

Because he was a clan cat, and he wanted the salvation of his clan.


	8. Chapter 8

_A/N- This chapter should have an extra special warning- beware its contents! Okay, tissue warning, and um, well, all I can say is- don't panic! There's nothing better I can say except that. Do not panic. Especially Fetathertail's Loyalty, don't get cross at me! Seriously, don't!_

_Okay, now that's out of the way, please review! And thanks to all of you who have reviewed! Oh, and I've decided to add an epilogue to the end, so this will be effectively, a 10 chapter story, which is 1 more than last time! Hooray!_

_But now, on with the tale! Enjoy!_

_Disclaimer- Warriors is not mine. I do not own it. Cloudpaw is mine. I own her. She is cute._

Chapter 8

Thunderpaw could feel the blood pounding in his ears, the thrill of battle burning through every fibre of his being. He had the strength of a warrior, the skill of a seasoned fighter, and now he was going to use it.

The golden tom leapt at Hawkpaw, mustering all his strength for the assault. He raked his claws down the other tom's side, twisting as he went past so as not to crash head on into his enemy.

Hawkpaw turned and snarled, leaping at Thunderpaw. The enemy apprentice landed just short of the golden tom's paws, and then sprang upwards, thrusting his paws up into Thunderpaw's jaw.

Rage and pain swept through Thunderpaw, and he was, for a split-second, unsure if he could continue the battle, but then his enemy leapt again, and once more, he attacked.

As Hawkpaw leapt over his head, aiming to take him from behind, Thunderpaw span around, faster than any cat of his age, with the exception of Hawkpaw. The golden tom lashed out with a forepaw as his attacker landed, sweeping the brown and white tabby tom off his feet.

As Hawkpaw crashed to the ground, Thunderpaw leapt forwards and pinned him down by his shoulders, remembering only a second too late to protect himself.

The brown and white tom raked down Thunderpaw's soft underbelly with his back legs, and the golden apprentice sprang off of him, yowling in pain. Using the moment to take Thunderpaw by surprise, Hawkpaw pounced at him and lashed out powerfully, sending Thunderpaw crashing into the rocks, a couple of foxlengths away.

Thunderpaw didn't get up.

--

Cloudpaw was writhing on the ground with Dawnstar, both she-cats struggling to gain the upper-hand in the battle. As the both fought fiercely, Cloudpaw suddenly saw her chance, and when she was, for a moment, trapped beneath her leader, she kicked up with all her strength, sending the golden she-cat flying off her, but landing just a tail-length away.

However, it was enough, and Cloudpaw cautiously padded over, only to see Dawnstar lying winded and defenceless, an easy target to pick off and save her clan forever.

"Go on then, kill me!" sneered Dawnstar, obviously knowing what the apprentice was thinking.

Cloudpaw took another step forward, and reached out a paw towards the leader. It hovered above Dawnstar's throat, at any minute about to slash down and end the she-cat's life.

Just then, Cloudpaw's self-doubt arose.

_Can I do this? Can I really save Skyclan? Wasn't Thunderpaw supposed to help too? He's over there now, facing Hawkpaw, but is he winning? Can he win? Can I win? Can I really kill a cat?_

She stayed like that, frozen with doubt, for a moment, her face contorted into a mask of pain and confusion. She honestly didn't know if she could do this.

Eventually, she lowered the paw, placing it back on the ground, and leaving the leader alive.

"I'm not going to kill you," she said.

Dawnstar sneered at her.

"I knew it. You're too weak, just like your mother. She didn't stay and fight either; she just stood there and watched while her mother was killed. You're not a cat, you're a mouse!"

Cloudpaw struggled with flaring anger, then, when her self-control had won over, she told the she-cat,

"No, I'm not weak. But killing you would not be killing the enemy. You have been manipulated by Tigerstar, twisted into a creature of evil, instead of being what you should have been- a cat of light."

Dawnstar still didn't look as if she was bothered by any of this, and merely leered at Cloudpaw as the apprentice carried on.

"Don't you remember what you used to be like? As a kit? As a new apprentice? Don't you remember those days? Before Tigerstar spoke to you? Don't you remember the cat you used to be?"

Dawnstar's eyes widened as the she-cat spoke, and in her mind, she saw flashbacks of her former self.

"_Hey! Dawnkit! Catch!"_

"_Dawnkit! Bet you can't catch me!"_

"_Isn't it great?! Tomorrow we'll be made into apprentices!"_

"_Until this kit has earned her warrior name, she shall be known as Dawnpaw."_

"_Dawnpaw! Riverpaw! Stormpaw!"_

"_I'm really looking forwards to this! Now we get to sleep in the apprentices den! No more curling up in that cramped nursery nest!"_

As she gazed at Cloudpaw, she suddenly saw a far-off and distant memory, one she didn't even recall ever seeing before. Something that may not have even been true.

_She was a kit, just a tiny newborn kit, lying curled up in her mother's belly. All around her was the scent of the forest, and of wood. There was darkness, but she could hear crashes of thunder coming from outside, along with bright flashes, which she now knew to be lightning._

_A voice cut through all her other senses. It was a warm voice, full of love and affection._

"_You will be Dawnkit, to remind me of the dawn waiting when the storm dies down."_

And now Dawnstar knew who she was, what part she was supposed to fulfil in the prophecy. She was hope. Hope for the future. And it was up to her to end this.

She would have to reverse the damage she'd done.

--

Just as Cloudpaw saw a new expression on the leader's face, and a new light in Dawnstar's eyes, she was distracted by a cry coming from a little way off, in the clearing. She turned her head to see her brother smash into a pile of rocks and stop moving.

"Thunderpaw!" she cried out.

Hawkpaw turned to her, a wicked glint in his eyes and a snarl on his face.

He leapt at her, claws unsheathed and yowling.

Cloudpaw was taken by surprise, and was caught off-balance.

Hawkpaw made contact.

His jaws sank into her throat.

Cloudpaw fell to the ground.

Her eyes were glazed over.


	9. Chapter 9

_A/N- This is the last chapter, and it's extra long! Watch out for an epilogue, coming later today! Yes, I will be writing it ASAP, aka- right now. Please enjoy this chapter, and get ready for a really cute ending to follow in the epilogue. Enjoy!_

_And thanks to all my reviewers, particularly Feathertail's Loyalty and Snowfeather5, who have been especially good at reviewing!_

_Disclaimer- Warriors is by no ways mine, or I wouldn't have to disclaim it, see?_

Chapter 9

Dawnstar stared at Cloudpaw's body with sad, devastated eyes. She had only been truly fond of the apprentice for a few heartbeats, but to lose her now… It was unbearable. Cloudpaw had been her kin, and she'd lost her, just like Tigerstar had said she would.

But it was Tigerstar's fault that Cloudpaw was dead, and now he would pay the price for all the suffering he'd caused.

A vicious snarl erupted from Dawnstar's throat, and she leapt at Hawkpaw, summoning all her strength to crush the cat who'd killed Cloudpaw. As she slashed and bit at the brown and white tom, Hawkpaw clawed and pummelled back, and both cats seemed equally matched.

Dawnstar was vaguely aware, out of the corner of her eye, of Blackleaf running over to Thunderpaw, checking to see if Stormcloud had lost both of her kits. It quickly became apparent that she hadn't, when the medicine cat encouraged the golden tom to try and get to his paws, and Thunderpaw merely collapsed back down again.

As Dawnstar and Hawkpaw writhed in battle, Stormcloud spotted her daughter's body. She cried out and wailed, long mournful wails that sank deep into the heart of every cat in the clearing, and caused all but Dawnstar and Hawkpaw to freeze where they stood and lament with her.

By now, with the sudden change of side of their leader, the rogues had ceased to fight, and, up until Stormcloud's cry, had been standing confused, not sure if they should be attacking the clan cats or not. The Skyclan warriors had been bewildered too, and both sides had been doing nothing, not sure what this sudden change in the battle meant.

Duskfur, the mate of Dawnstar, was the most confused of all. He had been stripped of his deputy status a quarter moon after joining the clan, after he had angered Dawnstar. He had been fighting on the side of the rogues, but now everything had stopped. He hissed at the fickle nature of his mate, and cursed her very soul.

When Stormcloud finished grieving, she was filled with a terrible anger. Hawkpaw had killed her daughter, Cloudpaw- her kit who had looked and been so much like her. The pain and grief in her heart were almost intolerable. And so she vented them, by joining her sister's fight against the killer.

With both sisters attacking Hawkpaw, any observer would expect the apprentice to be overwhelmed, but Hawkpaw easily matched them, and it seemed as if this was a fight that both she-cats were destined to lose.

Dawnstar scratched and sank her jaws into Hawkpaw, as the apprentice fended off Stormcloud, but the apprentice didn't seem to mind in the least. He simply turned and clawed at her, whilst her sister circled round and began her attack. It looked as if the she-cats were winning, but they weren't.

Dawnstar was tiring, and she knew it. Stormcloud was as well, but it seemed as if Hawkpaw were fresh out of his den, with the only signs that he had been fighting all this time being the many scars and scratches which criss-crossed all over his pelt. The leader knew that this fight would not last much longer, and that if help did not come soon, then Hawkpaw would win.

All of a sudden, Hawkpaw swung around unexpectedly, and batted Dawnstar fiercely with one paw. The leader was sent reeling backwards, and collapsed onto the ground with a thud and a 'humph', as the air rushed out of her lungs.

Hawkpaw gave a triumphant cry, but then showed no other sign of his victory. He turned back on Stormcloud and the fight continued, now just a one-on-one. In his past life, Hawkpaw (as Tigerstar) had seen far too many cats be distracted by celebrating the defeat of their enemies, only to then be attacked from behind during their gloating, and killed. No, he wouldn't make that mistake.

Hawkpaw leapt above Stormcloud's head, repeating the move he had used on Thunderpaw not that long ago. However, the golden tom's mother wasn't as fast, and Hawkpaw was able to land and lash out before Stormcloud had had time to spin around.

The grey tabby she-cat was flung back, and landed next to her sister, their pelts touching. Hawkpaw slowly took a few steps forward, until he stood before them. Even then, he did not gloat over their weakness, or savour his victory. He knew also from experience, that this was when his enemies would be at their most desperate and most likely to lash out or do something unexpected in order to survive. He was not taking any chances.

The reincarnation of Tigerstar raised his paw, and prepared to slash the throat of Stormcloud, just as he'd done to her daughter. Dawnstar would be next. She had not received nine lives from Starclan, and wasn't even a proper leader. She would no harder to kill than any other warrior.

As the apprentice prepared to cut down with his paw, a yowl sounded from behind him, and a cat thudded into his, knocking him off his paws. The new cat began to battle with him, both of them scratching and clawing on the ground, near to where the she-cats lay.

"Riverheart!" hissed Hawkpaw, recognising his enemy.

Riverheart gave another yowl and clamped his jaws around the apprentice's shoulder, biting down hard.

Hawkpaw shrieked in pain and bit back, but did less damage than the grey tom had done.

The two toms continued to attack each other, until suddenly, Riverheart dropped to the ground, limp and defeated.

Hawkpaw, feeling a rush of exhilaration, and a wave of anger at the tom, circled around him, and then placed his jaws around the warrior's neck, preparing to bite down and execute the tom who had almost cost him control of Skyclan.

Just as the apprentice's jaws began to tighten, Riverheart flung himself upwards and backwards, throwing off the brown and white tabby tom, and freeing himself. He quickly padded over to where Hawkpaw lay in the dirt, and placed his paws on the tom's shoulders, ensuring that Hawkpaw was lying on his side and unable to pose him any threat.

Nonetheless, Hawkpaw struggled, and Riverheart knew that in his weakened state, he may not have enough strength to keep the apprentice pinned for long.

At the very moment that Riverheart thought that Hawkpaw was about to escape, he felt pelts brush his fur on either side of him, and knew it was his sisters, come to help him bring down Tigerstar once and for all.

Stormcloud and Dawnstar placed their weight on Hawkpaw as well, and the apprentice was securely pinned to the ground. Dawnstar whispered,

"Let me do this, please. His death and all the suffering he has caused is my burden to bear."

The other two nodded and Dawnstar leaned in close to this apprentice.

"This is for Skyclan," she hissed, so quietly that only Hawkpaw could hear. "Never threaten us again!"

Dawnstar bit down hard into Hawkpaw's neck and the apprentice stiffened, before his eyes glazed over, and he was dead.

As the three cats back off, Dawnstar raised her head and yowled,

"Skyclan is free!"

--

The next morning, Stormcloud called a meeting of her clan, the Bonehill now destroyed, and the bodies of both Cloudpaw and Hawkpaw buried.

"I have received my nine lives and leader name from Starclan!" she announced, and the whole clan began to cheer.

"Stormstar! Stormstar!"

Stormstar smiled and meowed,

"I now have some other announcements to make. Firstly, I have to appoint a new deputy. I say these words before all of Starclan, so they may hear and approve my choice. Skyclan's new deputy shall be Riverheart!"

Riverheart purred and the clan cheered once more. Skyclan now consisted of all the cats from before, except the rogues, who had left. Actually, it was all but one of the rogues; Frostshimmer had stayed with her mate and kits.

Once the clamour had died down, the new leader continued,

"Dawnstar now wishes to change her name. She shall from now on be known as Dawnsong. Starclan honours your courage and determination, and we properly welcome you as a full warrior of Skyclan."

The clan congratulated Dawnsong, and then Stormstar meowed,

"It is also time to invite Lightning to join our clan. He shall henceforth be known as Lightningsky."

"Lightningsky! Lightningsky!"

"Also, Duskfur announced that he is staying with Skyclan, and will continue to be Dawnsong's mate, particularly as she is now expecting kits."

For the last time in the meeting, the clan cheered, and finally, Stormstar said,

"Lastly, I wish to say that the whole of Skyclan mourns for Cloudpaw, and we hope that she is happy now, up in Starclan."

The cats of Skyclan bowed their heads, while Stormstar looked to the sky, even though it was dawn and she couldn't see the stars.

"I miss you."


	10. Epilogue

_A/N- This is it! It's the end of the Children of the Storm! No! I'd just like to add that I won't be posting any new stories just yet, as i'd like to work on some of the others I am currently writing- I think the Tribe of the Sulit Mountain has had little attention recently. So I will not be putting up Life and Death just at the moment, not until i've finished another story first. So anyway, here's a cute little ending to the tale. Enjoy!_

_Disclaimer- How could Warriors possibly be mine? I'm not an evil story-stealing pixie! Or am I? Dun dun duuuun! (Nah, I'm not really!)_

Epilogue

Stormstar was sat outside her den, eating a piece of fresh-kill. She was thinking about everything that had happened during the battle for her clan. How they had arrived, how Dawnsong had been leader, how Cloudpaw had died…

Stormstar shook her head and took another bite of her thrush. No, it would do her no good to dwell on it.

Just as the Skyclan leader had finished eating, and was going into her den, Riverheart padded up to her and meowed,

"Stormstar! Wait! I need to tell you the news!"

The leader stopped and turned around.

"What news?" she asked.

"Dawnsong's kits have come!" Riverheart answered. "Don't you want to see your kin?"

Stormstar nodded and began to pad after her brother and deputy, as he led her over to the nursery.

Stormstar was still grieving for Cloudpaw inside her heart, but she was troubled more than that by the fact that in the two moons since her daughter's death, Cloudpaw had not spoken to her once at all in her dreams, even though she'd had warnings about foxes and badgers from various other cats since then, just not her daughter.

Stormstar shook her whole body this time, and then followed Riverheart into the nursery. She stood before her sister's nest and Dawnsong greeted her happily.

"Stormstar! Have you come to see the kits? They're beautiful aren't they?"

The leader nodded and asked,

"What are their names?"

Dawnsong pointed to a small brown and white tabby tom.

"That's Hawkkit. I like to think of him as the Hawkkit who never got a chance to live."

Stormstar nodded understandingly, even though the name made her shudder. The kit even looked like Hawkpaw had.

"And this is Cloudkit."

Stormstar's eyes opened wide as she gazed upon a perfect copy of Cloudpaw, curled up in Dawnsong's nest. She was a grey she-cat with white tabby stripes, and when she opened her eyes and yawned, Stormstar saw that her eyes were the same ice-blue ones that Cloudpaw had had. The leader was in no doubt that Cloudpaw had returned from Starclan to live again.

And now, looking at Hawkkit, she saw that he had no signs of plotting or extraordinary skill that had marked out Hawkpaw, and Stormstar was sure that this was Hawkkit, the Hawkkit whom Dawnsong had killed to give Tigerstar a body, come to have a life again, just like Cloudpaw.

"They're beautiful," she commented.

Dawnsong's eyes were full of compassion and thankfulness, but then she asked,

"Stormstar, I know it sounds strange, but when I look at these cats, I have the feeling that they're Cloudpaw and Hawkkit, not my kits at all. What do you think?"

Stormstar gazed into her sister's eyes and saw that she honestly thought that was the case. Eventually she gave a nod, and responded,

"I think they are too, but that's not important. All that matters now is that you stay strong, and that you raise them to be the best that they can be, and nothing less."

Dawnsong nodded and Stormstar left her in piece. She had some serious decisions to make regarding the kits' futures.

--

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the highrock for a clan meeting!"

As the cats of Skyclan gathered, Stormstar announced,

"I have a couple of ceremonies to perform right now. The first is a pair of apprentice ceremonies. Come here, Greykit and Snowkit."

The two kits padded up to the highrock nervously. Greykit was a small bluish-grey tom, and Snowkit was a slender white she-cat. They were the second litter of Riverheart and Frostshimmer.

"We are gathered here to give these Skyclan kits their apprentice names. Greykit, from this moment on, until you have received your warrior name, you shall be known as Greypaw. Orangeflame, you have shown yourself to be a brave and noble warrior, you shall be mentor to this apprentice."

Orangeflame nodded and touched noses with her younger brother and apprentice, then led him away to stand with the other cats.

"Snowkit, from this moment on, until you have earned your warrior name, you shall be known as Snowpaw. Streameyes, you have shown yourself to be a cunning and agile warrior, you shall be mentor to Snowpaw."

Streameyes, sister of Orangeflame, bent and touched noses with Snowpaw, who was also her younger sister. As the two cats moved away, Stormstar continued,

"We now have two warrior ceremonies to perform. Come here Cloudpaw and Hawkpaw."

As the two soon-to-be-warriors stepped up to the base of the highrock, Cloudpaw shot a longing glance at her mentor, Thunderfang. She would miss being his apprentice, even though all her life she's been waiting for this moment, the moment when she became a warrior. She felt as if she'd been waiting for it for too long.

"I, Stormstar, leader of Skyclan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn."

Stormstar began with Hawkpaw.

"Hawkpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code, and to protect and defend this clan, even at the cost of your life?"

"I do."

"Then by the powers of Starclan, I give you your warrior name. Hawkpaw, from this moment on, you will be known as Hawkfoot. Starclan honours your skill and strength, and we welcome you as a full warrior of Skyclan."

Then she moved onto Cloudpaw. Her eyes shone with pride as she said her next words.

"Cloudpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code, and to protect and defend this clan, even at the cost of your life?"

"I do."

"Then by the powers of Starclan, I give you your warrior name. Cloudpaw, from this moment on, you will be known as Cloudlight. Starclan honours your patience and intelligence, and we welcome you as a full warrior of Skyclan."


End file.
